My Morning Meal

I don’t know if it was that they considered themselves realists or what . . . but why would someone who was saved into an “evangelical church” spread the idea that there is no resurrection from the dead? What’s to be gained by such a “non doctrine?” But that’s exactly what was happening in the Corinth church. Established by the gospel preaching of Paul . . . built on the foundation of the teaching of Apollos, “an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures” (Acts 18:24), there were some in the Corinth body of believers who were developing an opinion that this is it . . . 70 years or so under the sun, and then you’re done. I don’t know what seeded such a thought . . . but the apostle Paul was not prepared to let it take root . . . the implications were too great . . . the potential damage too devastating to let such an idea gain momentum . . .

“But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. . . . For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. . . . If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.” (1Corinthian 15:13-19 ESV)

The argument’s pretty simple. The cause and effect . . . or, as the case may be, non-cause and therefore non-effect, isn’t hard to connect. If there’s no resurrection from the dead, then Christ has gone the way of the dust of the earth . . . and if Christ is not raised, then gospel preaching is vanity . . . there’s nothing to believe in . . . the faith is devoid of any truth, or power, or life changing effect . . . sins stain still abides within the soul and forever corrupts the creation . . . and hope? . . . what hope?

“But,” says Paul, “in fact Christ has been raised from the dead the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (15:20) Yes, “In fact!”

Fact . . . Christ died for our sins just as it was written in the Scriptures. Fact . . . Jesus was buried in a rich man’s tomb with a large stone rolled in front of it and a guard placed around it. Fact . . . the tomb was empty on the third day, Jesus had been raised from the dead . . . in accordance with the Scriptures. The ladies who went to the tomb that glorious morning saw it empty . . . the disciples saw it empty . . . the guard knew it was empty. Fact . . . Jesus appeared . . . to Cephas . . . and to the twelve disciples . . . and to a crowd of 500 . . . to James . . . to all the apostles. Not appeared as in “they felt His presence” . . . but appeared as in “put your finger here, and see my hands, and put out your hand and place it in my side” (John 20:27). Appeared as in “let’s do breakfast together” . . . Jesus frying up some fish at the seaside, inviting the disciples to eat with Him (John 21:4-14) . . . appeared as in “let’s walk and talk along this road to Emmaus, and then break bread that you might know me and believe” (Luke 24:13-35).

Those are the facts . . . the facts of life . . . the facts of forever life . . . Christ is risen!

Christ is risen and so the gospel is not vanity, but is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe. Christ is risen and so our faith is not futile, but is grounded in truth and power and is bearing fruit that will last literally forever. Christ is risen and so I am no longer a slave to sin . . . the price has been paid by the blood of Christ and the bondage of sin and death destroyed by the power of His resurrected life. Christ is risen and so my hope extends so far beyond this life and this world.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! And because He lives, so shall I. And that’s a fact!

To God be the glory!

Paul reminds me again this morning that the church isn’t a building . . . it isn’t a program . . . it isn’t even just a group of people . . . but that the church is intended to be a dynamic. That, when the church is being the church, stuff is happening below the surface of the fellowship and the singing and the preaching of God’s word. And when this dynamic is at its unhindered best, it conveys the presence and glory of God . . . and people know that “God is really among you!”

I’m reading 1Corinthians 14 this morning. And, in this part of his letter, Paul is putting into perspective the relative value of speaking in tongues versus prophesying. Both are spiritual gifts, but, Paul says, “Desire especially that you may prophesy.” Regardless of where someone lands on the role (or lack thereof) of tongues in the church today, Paul is so clear here — prophesying is better!! And we’re not talking about “predicting the future” . . . what we’re taking about is speaking forth, from divine inspiration, the counsel and mind of God. And that’s what I have in front me — something they didn’t have at Paul’s time — I have the divinely inspired word of God sitting on my desk . . . and to the degree that I can proclaim it’s divine truths, I am prophesying . . . speaking forth the mind of God. And to the degree that the church places a premium and priority on declaring the counsel of God by preaching the word of God in the power of the Spirit of God, Paul says, “That is so ‘way better’ than speaking in a tongue which people don’t understand.”

Ok . . . so that’s the context. And what happens when a body of believers come together and the word of God is proclaimed . . . from the pulpit . . . and through lives lived in obedience to it’s life-changing words? Outsiders know . . . they just know, . . . that something is going on that is deeper than simply a Sunday morning service. They know that “God is really among you.”

“If, therefore, the whole church comes together . . . and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you. (1Corinthians 14:23-25 ESV)

Read that again . . . what a dynamic!! The church is together being the church . . . the word of God is faithfully being proclaimed . . . an unbeliever comes in . . . he or she takes it all in . . . the people . . . the practices . . . the powerful word of God . . . and they are convicted of their need for our Savior . . . the reality of the environment they are in combined with the word proclaimed has exposed the sin that possesses them . . and they go facedown . . . and they worship God . . . and they conclude that, “He is here!! . . . God is truly among you!” Oh, that’s the church for me!!!

When the church is really being the church then God is truly among us. When it is real fellowship . . . when it is a real pursuit of the things of God . . . when it is a real “pilgrim’s convention” . . . when the word is really preached . . . then He is really there. God’s desire is that, as His people, we are being formed into a building which is being joined together and rising to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him we are being built together to become a dwelling where God lives by His Spirit. (Eph. 2:21-22) That’s what we should desire Sunday mornings to reflect . . . that this is a dwelling pace of God . . . a place where people know that God is “really among you.”

And when God is “really among you”, then the kingdom dynamics are at work. People are being drawn to Christ . . . believers are being built up in the faith . . . healing is happening . . . encouragement is being received . . . and, every so often, people fall on their faces (at least on the inside) . . . and worship. And they know . . . they just know . . . the Spirit of God interacting with their spirit . . . that God is really among you. Come, Lord Jesus, into our midst . . . and be known . . . and be worshiped . . . for God’s glory . . amen!

If you have a couple of more minutes . . . check this out (click here)  . . . and enjoy . .

It’s been a long time since I have had 20/20 vision without the aid of eyeglasses. Without my glasses things get pretty fuzzy pretty fast . . . don’t have to look very far before I can’t see very much. So, for now, I have these spectacles set upon my nose to help me see beyond my nose. But even with them, sometimes things are fuzzy . . . I have to tilt my head up and down in order to look through the right part of my lenses in order to improve the focus. Not complaining . . . with these glasses I see pretty well . . . my failing eyes have all the help they need to see almost perfectly. But as I read the “love chapter” this morning I’m reminded that my spiritual eyes are so far short of 20/20 . . . but that there is coming a day when I will have perfect vision.

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. (1Corinthians 13:12 ESV)

Spiritual eyes work different than my physical eyes. As time has gone by, my physical eyes have deteriorated. I didn’t always need glasses . . . I didn’t always need such powerful glasses. What started out as “for reading only” is now from the time I get up to the time I go to sleep. I know I’m getting older . . . my dimming eyes remind me of that.

Not so with my spiritual eyes. They are getting better . . . by God’s grace. In fact, I’m reminded that I started out blind . . . absolutely insensitive to the things of the kingdom’s light . . . no operational sensors functioning to detect the things “not of this world.” I once was blind . . . but now I see . . . by God’s amazing grace. Didn’t see very much or very clearly at first. Took a while for “my eyes” to adjust. But adjust they did . . . by God’s grace. I started seeing things by faith that I had never seen before. I started recognizing truths from the word of God that I had never recognized before. I started to gain focus on a far away land . . . on a home being prepared for me . . . on a Savior waiting for me. And as I saw more, I wanted to see more. And over time, my spiritual vision has improved . . . through the Word of God . . . by the Spirit of God . . . all because of the grace of God. I see much better now than when I first believed.

But even at that . . . I’m reminded that I “see in a mirror dimly” compared to a future day. The mirrors in New Testament times were made of polished metal . . . good enough to see in . . . not good enough to see really clearly in. And lest I become puffed up concerning how well I think “I see” (did I mention that it’s all by the grace of God?), the reality is that my spiritual vision is so far from being 20/20. No sitting back and thinking that I see well enough. I know that though some things are very clear others are still “dimly” . . . obscure . . . an enigma . . . still mostly a mystery . . . I catch glimpses but have yet to fully behold. Yeah, I see much better now than when I first believed . . . but there is still so much more to take in . . . and take in clearly.

But then . . . face to face! What a glorious phrase! What a joy evoking thought! What a praiseworthy motto! But then, face to face.

There is coming a day when I will have perfect spiritual vision. A day when “I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known”. The things of earth will completely fade away and the glories of the kingdom will come into clear focus. The landscape . . . strike that . . . the heaven-scape, which would overload my physical optic nerve, will be fully taken in and processed by my “face to face” eyes. Things which are today “of faith” will then be “of sight.” Things which are brain-teasers today with then be solved puzzles. Partial knowledge will give way to fully knowing.

Oh, but the best part of having fully functioning eyes in that day will be to behold Jesus. To see Him face to face . . . and then go face to ground in awe and wonder and gratitude and worship. What will it be like to have perfect vision? I can only imagine . . . and I cant’ wait!

“Face to face with Christ, my Savior; Face to face–what will it be? When with rapture I behold Him, Jesus Christ who died for me. Only faintly now, I see Him; With the darkling veil between. But a blessed day is coming, When His glory shall be seen. What rejoicing in His presence, When are banished grief and pain; When the crooked ways are straightened, And the dark things shall be plain. Face to face! O blissful moment! Face to face — to see and know; Face to face with my Redeemer, Jesus Christ who loves me so. Face to face I shall behold Him, Far beyond the starry sky; Face to face in all His glory, I shall see Him by and by!” (Mrs. Frank A. Breck, 1855-1934)

Opus. That’s not a word I use in everyday conversation . . . but it’s a word that comes to mind this morning. At its simplest, it means a “work.” Specifically, it most commonly refers to a musical composition. Broadly, it can refer to any creative work. Devotionally, this morning, I see it in God’s magnificent arrangement of the body of Christ, the church.

As Paul continues to address issues within the Corinth church, he comes to the topic of spiritual gifts. These believers were “not lacking in any spiritual gift” (1Cor. 1:7), yet you get the sense that these gifts had become another reason for divisions to develop within the church. And so, Paul reminds them that, while there are different gifts, there is one Spirit, one Lord, one God (1Cor. 12:4-6) . . . that these gifts are given for the common good (12:7) . . . and that it is the Spirit who “apportions to each one individually as He wills” (12:11). Rather than arguing about which gift is greater . . . or who’s more spiritual because of the gift they possess . . . Paul says that the variety of gifting is in accord with the diversity of the members of a body and that it is God who has “arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as He chose” (12:18) . . . that He has “appointed” individual members to play specific roles (12:28) . . . that He has “so composed the body” (12:24). The body of Christ is God’s work . . . His creative work . . . His opus.

That word, “composed”, is found only twice in the New Testament . . . here and in Hebrews 4:2 where it speaks of the need for the gospel to be “mixed” with faith. Literally the word means to “commingle” . . . to mix together . . . in the old King James the translators rendered it to “temper together.” That is the nature of those who are in Christ . . . a mixing together of individuals to create a whole . . . a bringing together of different members to form a body . . . different notes arranged to create a symphony . . . God’s great composition . . . His eternal opus.

Sometimes I think we need to recapture a sense of wonder and awe concerning the church. It is way too easy to get focused on the “works in progress” and not see the masterpiece God is putting together. Too easy to see all the rough edges of the “living stones” still being conformed into the shape of His Son and fail to marvel at the spiritual house God is building (1Peter 2:5). Too easy to fixate on how goofy some of the sheep are (forgetting that we too are but a sheep), and not praise God anew for sending His Son, the Great Shepherd, to gather together the flock.

God has composed the Body . . . He adds new members . . . He determines who plays what role . . . He arranges the pieces as pleases Him . . . He sets in order the individual parts according to His Sovereign wisdom and grace. The Body is His creative work “to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places” (Eph. 3:10). The church, consisting of all believers on a global level, and of the “sinners saved by grace” who gather together with me at the building down the road, is God’s creative work . . . a lost world needing to hear the new song we have been given to share . . . the powers in heavenly places watching from on high and beholding the multi-faceted movements of God’s grace and wisdom.

How can we not be a fan of the church? Is the church perfect? Mmmm . . . not right now? But know that one day He will present us to Himself “a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:27) . Know that now He is “mixing us together” as serves His purpose and pleasure . . . know that He has called each one to play a specific part within His eternal song of redemption . . . know that we are His composition . . . His grand symphony . . . His creative work . . . His opus. All for His glory!

You gotta love the church . . .

Sometimes I think we’d do better to choose our words more carefully. Case in point . . . is there a difference in meaning between “when you go to church” versus “when you come together?” The whole I idea of “going to church” is sort of inaccurate. We’ve taken a term originally designed to describe the living body of Christ and turned it into a reference for an animate structure constructed by the hands of men. We’ve diluted the wonder associated with a called out people . . . a spiritual house . . . a royal priesthood . . . a chosen generation . . . a holy nation . . . a people for God’s very own possession . . . because we take the word that refers to the Bride of Christ, the church, and use it to talk of a place to go . . . rather than a people to be.

So what’s got me going down this path this morning? I’m reading the latter portion of 1Corinthians 11. And what jumps out at me from the ESV text is the 5-time repeated phrase “when you come together.”

“. . . when you come together it is not for the better, but for the worse . . . when you come together as a church, I hear there are divisions among you . . . when you come together it is not the Lord’s supper you eat . . . so then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another . . . so that when you come together it will not be for judgment.” (1Corinthians 11:17, 18, 20, 33, 34 ESV)

So I’m thinking that God doesn’t see us as “going to church” . . . that the Son doesn’t care a lot about what time we start or finish the program . . . but that there is an interest from the balconies of heaven in what it’s like when we “come together.” When we assemble as the body of Christ, it can be for the better or the worse. It can be in a way that builds up the members of the body of Christ or in a way that tears down some of those for whom Jesus died. It can be all about me and what “I get” from “going to church” or it can be about “one another” and what encouragement I can bring to someone else as we “come together.” And (shudder!) our gathering can be something that brings God’s blessing as He is glorified or, “doing church” can bring God’s judgment as He loves us to much to let us just go through the motions or, worse yet, put on a pretense of piety when in fact we care only about our own body and not the body of Christ.

Paul says that “anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself” (11:29). While it could refer to remembering that the bread of the communion table represents the body of Christ offered for sin, I have understood it to mean that I should recognize that those who are gathered around the table with me are the living body of Christ . . . members for whom Jesus died. That the Lord’s table is not just about me remembering the Lord but it’s about doing so in the context of others . . . fellow sinners saved by grace . . . brothers and sisters in the Lord. That it is about corporate worship . . . and occurs only when we come together.

So, when we come together . . . when we assemble . . . when we gather with each other . . . singing songs of praise to the redeemer . . . receiving the word of God as it is proclaimed from the pulpit . . . taking of the cup and bread at the Lord’s table . . . engaging in fellowship over a cup of coffee before going home . . . when we come together, it is about so much more than going to a place or engaging in routine activities. It should be about “one another”.
The awe of recognizing in one another the church that Christ is building — not of bricks and mortar, but of living stones fashioned into a spiritual dwelling place for God through His Spirit. The joy of reconnecting with one another as we share triumphs and set backs of the week. The refreshing that comes as we encourage one another to keep on keepin’ on by His all sufficient grace and for His all deserving glory.

Yeah, I think words make a difference. Going to church is fine . . . but coming together? . . . that’s when it really happens . . . for our blessing . . . and for His glory.

I’m not really one for fine dining . . . haven’t been to a lot of real fancy restaurants . . . a few, but not very many or very often. Recently though, Sue and I went out for dinner with some friends to a nice restaurant. Not only was it nice because there was nothing on the menu you could “super size”, but because it was located up on bluff overlooking the city. And, while we didn’t reserve any particular table, we were seated at a table near the window . . . a table with a nice view of the cityscape below us. Not all tables had such a view . . . we could have just as easily been seated near the kitchen . . . or near the washrooms at the back of the restaurant. But we weren’t. And wouldn’t it have been kind of dumb to have said, “No” to the table with a view and instead asked to be seated at the back by the washrooms? I’m thinkin’ . . .

“The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? . . . You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.” (1Corinthians 10:16, 21 ESV)

Talk about your “fine dining” . . . talk about your “best seat in the house” . . . and you’re talking about the Lord’s table. Invited to pull up a seat with the Guest of Honor . . . no back row . . . no observing from afar . . . no hoping for leftovers . . . but given full access to participate in the “cup of blessing” and “the bread that we break.” Brought near, received onto holy ground, as we interact afresh with the life giving blood of the Savior. We, who were once on our own to wage war with sin and death, now made one body, identified eternally with the body of Christ. Oh, how easy it is to take such a seat for granted. How prone I can be to simply “go through the motions” during communion and never look up and behold the view . . . the view of the cross . . . the view of the empty tomb . . . the view of the land that awaits all those love His appearing.

And what’s worse is that not only can we fail to appreciate the table we’ve been called to, but often we’ll ask for a table at the “back of the restaurant.” We’ll chose to sit at the table with one leg shorter than the others . . . the one that’s dirty and not wiped clean after the previous patrons . . . the one that keeps getting bumped by the waiting staff as they rush in and out of the kitchen. And what’s more, we’ll settle for the “cheap meals” . . . we’ll ask to be served scraps with no lasting nutritional value. And, somehow, we’ll think we can jump back and forth between the table the Lord has set for us, and the one the world invites us to dine at.

Why would I give up a seat at the Lord’s table for a seat at the back? Why would I settle for the world’s junk food when I’ve been invited to participate in soul-filling fare of the Lord Himself? I don’t know . . . but sometimes I do . . . “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it . . . Prone to leave the God I love . . . Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, . . . Seal it for Thy courts above.”

Sometimes I need to be reminded of the privilege that is mine to have a seat at the table.

Reminded that the reservation was booked by God Himself, and that the tab was picked up by His Beloved Son. To not forget, when I’m at the table, to sit back and behold the view . . . considering afresh heaven’s love poured out that I might be redeemed . . . knowing again that my Savior lives and that I’m dining with Him . . . discerning the body of the Lord in the believer’s who surround me . . . appreciating anew the wonder of the fellowship that I have been grafted into. And, when I have known again the wonder of being invited to the table . . . and have been fed the food of heaven . . . then, by His grace, I will have no desire for the table set by the enemy . . . no hunger for the greasy offerings of the world.

A seat at the Lord’s table . . . now that’s fine dining . . . amen?

Competitors don’t like to be benched. Being pulled out of the game is the worst thing that can happen to those who want to be in the game. Even worse if you’re sidelined because of your ineffective or illegal play. To have trained so hard and played so hard only to be disqualified for some indiscretion or due to some lapse of focus adds insult to injury. Not enough just to be good . . . not enough just to play hard . . . but also necessary to stay focused, play by the rules, and finish well.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. (1Corinthians 9:24-27 ESV)

In chapter 9, Paul writes to the Corinthians on how he has approached his “position on the team” as an apostle. As an apostle, given full-time to the proclaiming of the gospel, he had the right to expect to live off that labor. The principle and precedent for those that shared the gospel to earn a living from the gospel was well understood . . . taught by Moses (9:8-10) . . . commanded by the Lord Jesus Himself (9:14). “Nevertheless,” says Paul, “we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ” (9:12).

Paul was “all in” to the game. He was determined, by the all-sufficient grace of God, to “play the game” at it’s highest level and within the strictest interpretation of the rules. Rather than exercise his rights as an apostle, he instead determined to make himself “a servant of all, that I might win more” (9:19). He would take no credit for preaching the gospel . . . that was but a stewardship . . . that was simply (well, not so simply) discharging the call the Lord had placed on His life (9:16-17). But if he were to boast in anything, it would be that he discharged his gospel-proclaiming duty free of charge to those who needed to hear of the free gift of salvation (9:18).

Paul was “all in” . . . but you sense that he was aware that at anytime he could be “taken out” if he wasn’t’ careful.

Paul saw himself as a runner . . . not a hundred yard dash runner, but a marathon runner . . . and at the end of the race was a prize. Not some perishable wreath, or ribbon, or trophy, but the imperishable crown of “Well done, good and faithful servant” from the Master and a place amidst His glory for all eternity. And so, Paul was determined to run in a manner that would result in the realizing the prize the Lord had for him. He would not run aimlessly . . . he would not be like a boxer swinging wastefully at the air . . . but he would “complete” in such a way that, as much as lied within him, he would remain at the top of his game . . . in such a way that, at the end of the day, he would not find himself benched . . . sidelined . . . pulled out of the game . . . disqualified.

Not that Paul was in fear of losing his salvation, but he was aware of losing his privilege to serve if he served carelessly. He was aware of the ease with which he might become ineffective if he became “flabby” . . . letting himself go . . . running with less purpose . . . become arrogant or presumptuous . . . resting on past victories . . . losing sight of the prize. And to do so, could end up in him being disqualified . . . castaway . . . not standing the test . . . not approved. It seems that he believed it was not just about running the race but about HOW one run’s the race. Not just about competing but competing at the top of one’s game. Not getting too cocky concerning “your abilities”, but recognizing that it’s about at stewardship . . . about His gifting . . . relying on His grace . . . running the race by the power of His Spirit. How tragic to run but not finish well . . . how sad to think you’ve reached the finish line, only to find that you were pulled from the game miles ago.

Oh, that I would not lose the desire to be “in the game” . . . that I would continue to strive to be at the “top of my game” . . . and not be disqualified from “winning the game” . . . through His power within me . . . and by His grace upon me . . . for His glory . . . amen.